Daffodils are my most beloved harbingers of spring. I love these cheery flowers so much, I’ve planted hundreds of thousands of the narcissus bulbs over the years at Moss Mountain Farm. The bright yellow beauties inspire me because so few flowers are as resilient. They’re so carefree, and some of the first to pop up and brave the cold. They don’t require a lot of attention, and they persist on their own. If you go to an old farm site, they’re often the only sign of life around a crumbling foundation or walkway.
The vast majority of my bulbs are clustered on Daffodil Hill, and the first to bloom is ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation,’ which emerges on the dot the first week of January. The next is ‘February Gold,’ and, as you might expect, it begins blooming in early February. Others bloom all the way through April.
A few years ago, I began collecting bulbs. We planted 8,000 the first year, adding more each year. It’s added up to more than 300,000 bulbs over time! Daffodil Hill is only a few acres, so we’ve planted more daffodils in the orchard and all around the side of the house. If you’d like a field of daffodils to call your own, here are a few planting tips I’ve learned over the years:
▶ Plant daffodil bulbs in autumn after the ground cools a bit. In some areas this will be as early as September, and in warmer climates, as late as November.
▶ Most tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is moist during the growing season. Drainage is key, so hillsides and raised beds are often the best places.
▶ For big impact, plant large drifts of bulbs rather than a sprinkling here and there. Keep in mind when planting that blooms tend to face the prevailing direction of the sun. In a border viewed from the north, they will look away from you.
Daffodils herald the beginning of spring tour season at Moss Mountain Farm, just outside of Little Rock. If you’d like to see our large swaths of gorgeous daffodil blooms, check our spring tour dates at pallensmith.com/tours.
P. Allen Smith is an author, conservationist and TV host of Garden Home on PBS and Garden Style (check your local listings). He uses his Arkansas home, Moss Mountain Farm, to promote the local food movement, organic gardening and the preservation of heritage poultry. For tours of the farm, visit pallensmith.com/tours.
